My Father's son
by JasonMorganfan87
Summary: Ten year old Harry Potter finds out his father isn't who he thought he was. When he gets to Hogwarts, he meets his father, a man he will do anything to impress
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters.**

**My Father's Son**

10-year-old Harry walked into the attic of his Aunt and Uncle's house and His Uncle had ordered him to clean out the attic. Harry looked around at the dozens of boxes in the attic. It would take days to clean the whole thing out.

Harry sighed and got started. There was no use complaining. He would have to do it anyway, so he might as well get started. The first box Harry started on was of Dudley's old broken toys. Why his Aunt and Uncle would save things that Dudley had purposely broke was beyond him. He quickly tossed everything and went on to the next box, which seemed to have a bunch of China plates. He put the box aside on the side of the room. He knew better than to through things like that out. This Aunt would kill him.

The next box Harry found intrigued him. It was a small Box that had the name 'Lily' written on it. Lily was the name of his mother. He carefully opened the box and started sifting through it. He found some old clothes, some dolls that must have been from when she was child and an old photograph.

Harry admired the picture for a moment. He noted that he had her eyes. They were bright green, just like hers. After a minute he put the picture in his oversized pocket. It was the first picture he'd ever seen of his mother and wasn't about to give it up. He then kept looking in the box to see if he could find anything else, maybe a picture of his father, but he couldn't. What he did find surprised him. Deep inside the box was a letter that had his name written on it. Harry carefully opened the letter and started reading.

_Dear Harry,_

_If you're reading this than it means I am no longer with you, which I'm afraid is a very real possibility. You see, we are in hiding now and it is only a matter of time before Voldemort finds us. I hope that whoever you are with is taking good care of you and that they love you. Now, for the reason I wrote you. I'm afraid that I must tell you something that will come as a bit of a shock to you. James Potter is not your father._

Harry gaped in shock. He never knew his father, but he'd been told by his Aunt that the man's name was James Potter and that he was a drunk that got him and Harry's mother killed. Harry decided to ignore the shock and kept reading.

_Don't misunderstand me, Harry. James loved you with all his heart. To him, you were his, but he was not your biological father. Your father was my best friend. He comforted me when I thought that James had died. When I think back, I realize that it was unfair for me to do that to him. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret it, not for one second, but I know that it hurt him deeply. You see, your father's feelings for me ran deeper than mine for him. He felt for me what I felt for James and in a way I took advantage of that. I know that he resents me for doing it, but I can't regret because it gave me you._

_Now, I know you're probably wondering who your father is. I'm not sure if you know him or not, given that I'm not sure how old you are at the moment you are reading this. If you do know him, I dare say he hasn't been kind to you. You see, he and James didn't like each other very well. Also, he may resent you for being James'. His name is Severus Snape. He's a good man, Harry and I hope you'll give him a chance. I love you, never forget that._

_Love, Mum._

Harry looked up and saw his Aunt staring at him. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she knew the secret of his paternity. "You knew."

Petunia scoffed. "Of course I knew. Did you really think I'd have received that letter and not have read it?"

"I don't understand. You hate me. You hated my mother, so why would you keep me when you knew I had a father that was still alive?" Harry asked.

"That headmaster of hers insisted that neither you or that Snape brat ever find out," she answered.

"What does a headmaster have to do with anything?" asked Harry.

"He's the head freak of that world," Petunia answered.

"What world," he asked. His aunt wasn't making any sense to him.

"The _magical _world," Petunia said, spitting out the word, 'magical' like it was poison.

"Magic? There's no such thing as magic, is there?" a shocked Harry asked. This had been a really weird day for him. First he finds out that his father isn't his father and now he was being told that magic was real.

"Oh, it's real alright. That freakishness is real. My sister went to that school every year. It's what got her killed," Petunia answered.

"You told me she died in a car crash," Harry said angrily.

"Well, I had to say something, didn't I? I couldn't tell you that she got herself blown up." she said.

"So, that's what happened? My mother and step father were blown up?" Harry asked.

Petunia nodded. "And we got saddled with you," she said with disgust.

"But why? If I had a living parent, why didn't you just tell him?" Harry asked.

"I wasn't going to make that freaky headmaster angry. He said you were not to know," she answered.

"Why would he care?" Harry wondered. He didn't understand why anyone would care who his father was.

"I don't' know and I don't care. All I care about is that in a year, you'll be going to that freak school. You can find that freak father of yours and tell him yourself. Then I'll never have to see your worthless self again," Petunia ranted before walking out of the room.

Harry stood there in shock. He'd had one hell of a day. In the last hour, he found out that he had a living parent, his parents had been murdered, and he was magical. It was all a lot to take in, but he did know one thing. His Aunt was right. When he left for that school, he wouldn't be coming back. He was going to find his father and he was going to be the best son that he could ask for.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry spent the next year learning everything he could about Magic. He found a bunch of his mother's old school books and started reading. With the help of his mother's diary, he'd even found Diagon Alley, so when his letter came, he'd had no problem getting his things.

Harry felt a bit uncomfortable as he walked through Diagon Alley. Everyone appeared to be staring at him and he'd even heard a few people whisper his name. He wondered how they knew who he was. He had been a baby when he'd left this world, so how would they know who he was? Harry shook off the stares. He didn't like it, but he wasn't going to dwell on it.

The first place Harry went to was to Gringotts. He'd read in his mother's diary that his step father had been quite wealthy. He though it couldn't hurt to see if they hadn't left him anything. He walked up to the counter, where a goblin was taking customers.

"Can I help you?" asked the goblin.

"Yes, my name is Harry Potter. I'm wondering if I have any money here," Harry said.

"Follow me," said the goblin.

Harry was led in back over to some sort of machine. "Place your hand inside the machine," said the goblin.

Harry hesitantly did as he was told. After about a minute, Harry felt something bite his hand and he quickly yanked it out.

"It was taking your blood," the goblin explained. "I see here that you are an heir to the Potter family.

Harry looked confused. He wasn't sure how that was possible. After all, he wasn't really a Potter. Harry decided not to ask the goblin how it was possible. He didn't want to risk possibly not getting the money that was left to him.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

After he'd gotten money from his vault, Harry went to the robes shop to be fitted. When he got there, he saw a blond haired boy getting fitted.

"Another for Hogwarts?" asked the seamstress.

Harry nodded.

"Alright, just hop on the stool and I'll be with you as soon as I'm finished here.

"So, your going to Hogwarts?" asked the other boy.

"Yeah," Harry replied.

"Are you a pureblood," he asked.

Harry thought for a minute. He wasn't sure if he would be considered a pureblood or a half blood. Both his parents were wizards, but from what he'd figured out through his mother's journals and books his mother was a muggleborn and his father was a half blood. In the end he decided to answer the boy's questions the best he could. "Both my parents were Wizards.

Draco nodded. He was about to speak when Harry interrupted.

"So, what house do you recon you'll be in?" he asked.

"Slytherin. All my family has been sorted there," Draco answered "You?"

"Not sure. My father was in Slytherin, but my mother was in Gryffindor," Harry explained.

Draco's eyes widened in shock. "Your parents were from Gryffindor and Slytherin. That's almost unheard of."

Harry nodded. "He'd read about the rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin. It wasn't likely for two people from those houses to be friends, but his parents managed.

"I'm Draco by the way," he introduced.

"Harry,"

"Alright young man, you're all finished.

"See you at Hogwarts," Draco said before getting off the stool.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

After the robes shop Harry got all of his other supplies and then went for his wand.

"Ah, Harry Potter. I knew I'd be seeing you," Olivander said.

Harry once again noted how weird it was for everyone to know his name but ignored it. "Hello."

"So, which is your wand hand?" Olivander asked.

Harry held out his right hand. Harry tried out about ten wands before he found one that suited him. "It is curious though," said Olivander.

"What's curious?" Harry asked.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold and it just so happens that that wand is the brother wand to the one that gave you that scar," Olivander said pointing to Harry's forehead.

"Okay," Harry said, clearly confused. He then resolved to find out how he did get the scar and why it was so important.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry was reading his potions book on the train when he heard someone open the compartment door. He looked up and saw that it was Draco. "Hey."

"Hey Harry," Draco said as walked inside and sat down. "How was the rest of your summer?"

"Uneventful," Harry answered. It was true. Once Harry was able to do magic, the Dursley's were too scared to bother him. "Yours?"

"Same," Draco answered. He then noticed the book Harry's reading. "Potions is the best subject."

"Yeah, it seems pretty cool. It's a lot like cooking," Harry said.

"My godfather teaches Potions," Draco told him. "He's also Slytherin head of house."

"Is he any good?" Harry asked.

"Are you kidding? He's great, but he's very strict," Draco said.

Harry nodded.

Just then someone entered the compartment. Harry looked over and saw a boy with red hair. "Hi," he said.

"I'm looking for Harry Potter. Have you seen him?" the boy asked.

"I'm Harry Potter. This is Draco Malfoy," Harry told him. He completely missed the look of absolute shock that was on Draco's face.

"Your sitting with a Malfoy?" the boy asked horrified.

"So?" Harry asked. He was beginning to dislike this boy.

"Malfoy's are Slytherins Harry. He probably will be too," he said.

"Again I ask, so?" Harry asked.

"Slytherin's are evil, Harry. Not one of them are good."

Harry stood up and took a confrontational step towards the boy. "My father was a slytherin. Are you saying he's evil. Kids aren't evil. Slytherins are those that are cunning, not evil. Now, get out!" he demanded. He would not sit there and listen as that kid talked bad about his father. He got enough of that from the Dursley's.

Once the red headed boy left, Harry sat back down and looked at a still stunned Draco. "What?"

"You're Harry Potter?" Draco asked.

"Oh, Yeah, I found out after I met you that I was famous. I read about it in a book. It doesn't seem like a great thing to be famous about though," Harry said.

"How come you lied to Weasley?" Draco asked.

"Who?" Harry asked confused.

"The boy that was just here. The red hair is legendary. His last name is Weasley. I think his first name is Ronald," Draco explained.

Harry nodded. "Well, anyway, I didn't lie to him."

"You told him your father was a slytherin. You told me the same thing," Draco said.

"He is," Harry insisted.

"My parents went to school with yours. James Potter was in Gryffindor," Draco told him.

"I never said he wasn't," Harry replied.

"You said your father was in Slytherin!" Draco said almost yelling. He was getting frustrated and confused with what Harry was telling him. James Potter was in Gryffindor and James Potter was Harry's father. Unless he wasn't. "Are you saying that James Potter wasn't your father?"

Harry smiled.

"So who is?" Draco wondered.

"I'd rather not say just yet. I want to find him first," Harry told his friend.

Draco nodded. It sounded understandable. It seemed that Harry hadn't even met his father yet.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

A few hours later, Harry and Draco were waiting to be sorted. Several students had already been sorted. Hannah Abbot had gone to Hufflepuff, Hermione Granger to Gryffindor, and many others.

"Malfoy, Draco," Professor McGonagall called.

Draco went over and sat on the stool. The hat had barely touched his head when it called out, **"SLYTHERIN"**

Harry clapped as his friend ran to the Slytherin table. Harry watched as Draco patted the spot next to him, indicating that he would save a seat for him.

"Potter, Harry," Professor McGonagall said.

As Harry walked forward, he noticed that the entire room went silent. It had to be because he was famous. "**Ah, Mister Potter," **the hat said. Harry couldn't help but jump. He knew from his mother's diary that the hat could talk, but it was still unnerving. **"Or should I say Snape."** Harry was surprised to hear that the hat knew who his father was. It must be able to read thoughts. **"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Now, where to put you. You are loyal to those you care about. You have a pretty fair mind and quite a bit of courage. Also a big thirst to prove yourself, especially to your father. That seals the deal. Better be…SLYTHERIN."**


	4. Chapter 4

Harry walked over to the Slytherin table uneasily. Everyone was staring at him with shocked and angry expressions on their faces, aside from Draco and the other Slytherins.

Harry sat down next to Draco and leaned into his ear. "Why is everyone staring at me like this?"

"No one expected Harry Potter to get into Slytherin. All the other houses probably think that you're the next dark lord," Draco explained.

"Just because I'm in Slytherin? That's ridiculous," Harry said. It made no sense to him. The hat said he belonged in Slytherin because he was cunning and had a thirst to prove himself. How did people get evil from that?

"Yeah, well, some people are really thick. They think that just because the Dark Lord was in Slytherin, that means all Slytherin's are bad," Draco said. His father and godfather had warned him about this. They'd told him that he would be judged by all the other houses if he was in Slytherin. That didn't deter him from following in his parents' footsteps though.

Harry sighed. He then looked up at the staff table and saw a man dressed in all black staring at him intently. It was almost like the man was trying to figure him out. "Draco, who's that man with the black robes at the staff table?"

Draco followed his friend's gaze to his godfather. "Oh, that's Professor Snape. He's my godfather and our head of house.

"Did you say Snape?" Harry asked in shock. Could it have really been this easy? Could he have found his father already?

"Yeah. I can't wait to have class with him. I've never actually seen Uncle Sev teach," Draco said.

'_Uncle Sev?' _That sealed it for Harry. Sev was short for Severus, which was his father's first name. It had happened. He'd found his father.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"How the bloody hell did this happen?" Severus asked as he paced the headmaster's office. He and Minerva were there talking about the Potter boy's house placement with the headmaster. Severus couldn't get over it. Harry bloody Potter was in his house. _His _house. If this was someone's idea of a joke, it was a very, very sick one. Potter no more belonged in Slytherin than he did in Gryffindor.

"I don't know, but we must find a way to fix it," Dumbledore said. He did not want the Potter boy in Slytherin. He needed to be in Gryffindor. Dumbledore had worked so hard to get him there too. He'd spoken to the Weasley family and made sure that the boy would meet their youngest son, Ron. That way the boy could explain to Harry the evils of Slytherin and Harry wouldn't want anything to do with it. Something must have gone wrong along the way, but what?

Severus narrowed his eyes at the man. "And what, pray tell, is that supposed to mean?" He didn't want Harry Potter in his house anymore than the others, but he would not have the headmaster acting like the boy was going to turn out badly because he was in it.

"Now, Severus, calm down. I didn't mean to imply that there is anything wrong with your house. I just think the public will feel better if the Boy Who Lived is in a different house," Dumbledore tried to appease. _'Also, it'll be harder to manipulate him from Slytherin,'_ he added to himself. That was why he wanted the boy in Gryffindor. He could control the boy there. He wouldn't be able to do that with Slytherin. He didn't have the same kind of control with the Slytherin students. They'd been taught not to trust him and would teach Harry the same. And he needed Harry to trust him. He needed the boy to count on only him. That was also why Dumbledore had never allowed Severus to find out that Harry was his son. He needed Harry to be completely dependent on him to 'save' him. That wouldn't happen if he had someone who loved him.

"How exactly do you intend to get Harry out of Slytherin?" Minerva asked.

"Maybe we can get him to ask to be resorted," Dumbledore said.

"And how do you expect to do that? If the boy didn't want to be in Slytherin, he wouldn't be," Severus said. Not many knew, but the hat could be manipulated by the wishes of the student as long the student had some traits of the house he or she wished to enter.

"We make him unhappy in Slytherin. Maybe you could treat him a bit unkindly, Severus," he said.

"Albus, do you know what you're saying? You're talking about hurting a child," Minerva said in disbelief. She couldn't believe the headmaster would even consider mistreating a child.

"Yes, my dear, I understand, but this is for the greater good. Harry needs to be in a different house," Dumbledore stressed.

"So you want me to torture an eleven-year-old boy for the greater good?" Severus asked in disgust. Honestly, he'd been planning to treat the Potter boy harshly, but now that he actually heard someone ask him to do it, he realized how evil it sounded. "You can forget it, Old Man."

Dumbledore was frankly quite surprised. He'd expected Severus to jump at the chance at talking revenge on James Potter's 'son'. "Severus, please, you must understand-"

"Understand what? That you want to put the so called greater good above a child's emotional stability. No. No way. I don't like the boy, and I want him out of my house as much as you do, but I will cause him psychological damage to get it. You want him out of Slytherin, you're doing it on your own," Severus said before angrily leaving the office.


End file.
